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Solving Tough Research Problems—Overcoming Brick Walls (view source)
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| valign="middle" | 6. Arbitrary research strategies. | | valign="middle" | 6. Arbitrary research strategies. | ||
| valign="middle" | Thoughtfully plan how, who, what, when, and where you will do the research to solve the problem. Be flexible if a new find takes you in a new direction.< | | valign="middle" | Thoughtfully plan how, who, what, when, and where you will do the research to solve the problem. Be flexible if a new find takes you in a new direction.<ref>Mills, “Dissecting the Research Problem.”</ref> | ||
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| valign="middle" | 7. Researcher ignorance.<br><br> | | valign="middle" | 7. Researcher ignorance.<br><br> | ||
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4. '''''Look for alternate spellings and nicknames.''''' Some ancestors are listed by nicknames (Polly for Mary, Bob for Robert), by a middle name, or by initials. Also search for alternate spellings. Clerks misspell names all the time, and indexers have difficulty reading them. Think phonetically. For lists of possible spelling substitutes see pages 331 and 336 of Kory L. Meyerink, ed., [http://www.familysearch.org/Eng/Library/fhlcatalog/supermainframeset.asp?display=titledetails&titleno=719674&disp=Printed+sources&columns=*,0,0 ''Printed Sources: A Guide to Published Genealogical Records'']. (Salt Lake City: Ancestry, 1998). [FHL book 016.9293 P96m]. Failure to find a some quirky versions of the individual's name is a red flag that you probably are not being imaginative enough during your searches. | 4. '''''Look for alternate spellings and nicknames.''''' Some ancestors are listed by nicknames (Polly for Mary, Bob for Robert), by a middle name, or by initials. Also search for alternate spellings. Clerks misspell names all the time, and indexers have difficulty reading them. Think phonetically. For lists of possible spelling substitutes see pages 331 and 336 of Kory L. Meyerink, ed., [http://www.familysearch.org/Eng/Library/fhlcatalog/supermainframeset.asp?display=titledetails&titleno=719674&disp=Printed+sources&columns=*,0,0 ''Printed Sources: A Guide to Published Genealogical Records'']. (Salt Lake City: Ancestry, 1998). [FHL book 016.9293 P96m]. Failure to find a some quirky versions of the individual's name is a red flag that you probably are not being imaginative enough during your searches. | ||
5. '''''Do not trust indexes''''' ''(that do not answer the main question)''. If he '''should be''' in the index but '''is not''', search the record page-by-page until you find him. Even if you do find him in the index, thumb through the records for places they missed him in the index until you answer the research question.< | 5. '''''Do not trust indexes''''' ''(that do not answer the main question)''. If he '''should be''' in the index but '''is not''', search the record page-by-page until you find him. Even if you do find him in the index, thumb through the records for places they missed him in the index until you answer the research question.<ref>Elizabeth Shown Mills, "Land Records" (lecture in Course 4 Advanced Methodology & Evidence, Institute for Genealogical and Historical Research at Samford University, Birmingham, Ala., 15 June 2005).</ref> | ||
6. '''''Do not trust copies selected by someone else.''''' If possible, look at the original with your own eyes. | 6. '''''Do not trust copies selected by someone else.''''' If possible, look at the original with your own eyes. | ||
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8. '''''Start with a well-documented family group record.''''' Compile a family group with a [[Cite Your Sources (Source Footnotes)|source footnote]] for '''''every''''' source that mentions the family. [[Adding a Custom Event to a PAF Family Group Record|Show '''''every''''' event]] for '''''every''''' family member (not just birth, marriage and death events), including census, migration, military service, jury duty, acquisition or sale of land, and wills. This family group record becomes a road map of clues to suggest further places to research. | 8. '''''Start with a well-documented family group record.''''' Compile a family group with a [[Cite Your Sources (Source Footnotes)|source footnote]] for '''''every''''' source that mentions the family. [[Adding a Custom Event to a PAF Family Group Record|Show '''''every''''' event]] for '''''every''''' family member (not just birth, marriage and death events), including census, migration, military service, jury duty, acquisition or sale of land, and wills. This family group record becomes a road map of clues to suggest further places to research. | ||
9. '''''[[Research Logs|Research logs]].''''' Keep good ''research logs'' for each family.< | 9. '''''[[Research Logs|Research logs]].''''' Keep good ''research logs'' for each family.<ref>Dilts.</ref> List the objective of each of your searches, for example, list John Doe’s name and the type of event (birth, marriage, or death). List every record you plan to search BEFORE you search it. If you do not find what you seek, write “nil” on the log so you know you have already searched there and do not need to repeat that search. Too many “nils” show you should search elsewhere. If you DO find it, summarize what you found (person and event). Also list letters you write, phone calls, and Internet searches and results on your ''research log.'' | ||
10. '''''[[Document AS YOU GO!|Document and organize AS YOU GO]].'''''< | 10. '''''[[Document AS YOU GO!|Document and organize AS YOU GO]].'''''<ref>Harless.</ref> When you search a document but it has no information about your ancestor, his kin, or his neighbors, write "nil" in the results field. If you DO find something, do the following before you look for any more documents (or lay your head on your pillow): | ||
a. [[Copying Sources|Photocopy the new source document]]. | a. [[Copying Sources|Photocopy the new source document]]. | ||